Tech New-Student Registration More Effective with More Dates, July 17, 2008

By Thomas Guengerich

SOCORRO, N.M., July 17, 2008 – A new approach to incoming student registration has made life easier for New Mexico Tech students, faculty and staff.

For many years, the admissions and registrar offices scheduled only two open registrations for new students – incoming freshmen and transfer students. Beginning during the summer of 2007, Tech increased the number of registration dates to four, in addition to on-line registration for selected students.

Director of Admissions Mike Kloeppel and Registrar Luz Barreras said this summer’s second registration session Friday went very well, with 76 students enrolling.

“We can bring students to campus in smaller groups, and we have a better opportunity to serve students,” Barreras said. “We can give students our undivided attention.”

Returning students had a pre-registration in April. Barreras said 800 to 900 students pre-register in April.

On Friday, students from all corners of New Mexico and surrounding states selected their class schedule, made housing arrangements and met professors.

“We were very pleased with registration Friday because we got five additional students into the physics department,” Chairman Dr. Dave Westpfahl said. “Plus, they are all well-prepared. They are ready to take calculus and ready to take physics.”

Left: Elaine DeBrine, director of Advising Resource Center, works with students during Registration.

“It was excellent,” he said. “We have a record number of students coming to our department. Right now, we have 57 new students with two more registrations to go.”

Westpfahl said helping students select classes is the easy part. The most important part of registration day is helping incoming students become acquainted with the Tech systems, he said.

Incoming students – many with parents and some with siblings – ate in the cafeteria, toured campus and attended a brief welcoming session. Students also visited the Computer Center to sign up for their e-mail address and visited the Post Office to get their campus box number.

“It’s really been a positive experience for everyone involved,” Kloeppel said. “Students don’t have to wait to talk to advisors, which is another positive step.”

The four waves of on-campus registration also allow the registrar’s office to gauge student demand for specific classes. Barreras said she and her staff have found it easier to add classes, especially in popular departments like mechanical engineering and computer science.

“We can answer all their questions and the parents feel comfortable with their decision to send their kids to Tech,” Barreras said.

The next two registration sessions are July 28 and August 22. See .

Orientation is Saturday, August 23. The first day of classes is Monday, August 25.